Henry Huggins (novel)

Henry Huggins
First edition
AuthorBeverly Cleary
IllustratorLouis Darling
LanguageEnglish
SeriesHenry Huggins
PublisherMorrow
Publication date
1950
Publication placeUnited States
Pages183
Followed byHenry and Beezus 

Henry Huggins is the first book in the Henry Huggins series of children's novels, written by Beverly Cleary. Henry is an ordinary boy who manages to get into funny scrapes with his dog, Ribsy.[1] The book was originally illustrated by Louis Darling and later by Tracy Dockray. According to the author, Beverly Cleary, back in 1949, when she wrote it, she declared that she was surprised to have written it at all. [2][3][4]

The book was a response to a letter from a child saying, "Where are the books about the kids like us?" One critic called the character of "Henry" the "modern Tom Sawyer."[5]

The character of Henry Huggins returned in later books and also in a play which was written by Beverly Cleary and Cynthia J. McGean.[6]

  1. ^ "New Novel by McMinnville Woman to Be Released Soon", The Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), September 5, 1950, p14
  2. ^ Henry Huggins on Goodreads, accessed April 2016.
  3. ^ Henry Huggins on the Index Translationum, accessed April 2016.
  4. ^ Henry Huggins on WorldCat, accessed April 2016.
  5. ^ Henry Huggins, The Camping magazine, Volume 25 By American Camping Association, Camp Directors Association (U.S.), accessed May 2010
  6. ^ Henry and Ramona, Beverly Cleary, Cynthia J. McGean, p.70, 1997